Bates et al. United States Published Patent Application US 2004/0067000 discusses a minimally-invasive optical-acoustic device for vascular and non-vascular imaging. It discloses an elongated optical imaging guidewire, catheter, or like probe with one or more ultrasound transducers at its distal end to provide ultrasound energy such as to nearby tissue or the like. Light energy produced at the external instrumentation is transmitted toward the implanted distal end of the instrument, where it is converted to sound energy that can be directed at nearby tissue or the like. Sound energy returned by such tissue modulates light energy at or near the distal end of the implanted section of the instrument. Such modulated light is then communicated to back toward the proximal end of the instrument, and then to externally located diagnostic instrumentation.
Eberle et al. United States Published Patent Application US 2007/01164408, which is incorporated herein by reference, discusses a connector for an optical imaging probe, techniques for aligning the optical fibers at the connector, and techniques for improving light coupling between portions of the probe.